UAD PolyMAX - This thing is Sick

[Modular Manfred]

I new you guys would say repro 5. Unfortunately it’s got its limitations comparing to the real prophet e.g. the way audio rate modulation sounds, aliasing in the higher register and the vca action. I know I’m the niche but to me these differences matter. Cause so many issues in mixing down the line.

If you just use it for bread and butter sounds and stay within the limits it’s ok.

[Modular Manfred]

Nobody gets the vca so right as NI in Blocks and Massive X. So overlooked in analogue modelling.

[musicproducerdee]

Frankly, one could make a list of synths at least as good as Polymax, and WAY cheaper.

u-he Diva, u-he Repro/Synapse Audio The Legend, Synapse Audio Obsession - a few that come to mind at first

[Sinisterbr]

Frankly, one could make a list of synths at least as good as Polymax, and WAY cheaper.

Btw, XILS PolyKB III costs 60$ right now. Absolutely amazing deal.

The XILS labs products sound like the old Arturia synths. They're good but they wouldn't fool anyone.

Oh, I radically disagree with you.

[Sinisterbr]

Frankly, one could make a list of synths at least as good as Polymax, and WAY cheaper.

u-he Diva, u-he Repro/Synapse Audio The Legend, Synapse Audio Obsession - a few that come to mind at first

Yeah. Also, TAL and Geforce

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Just fair warning for those who may care: the UAD PolyMAX has non-editable hardwired MIDI CC assignments. There's no MIDI Learn. So depending on your DAW, you may be limited to the built in Learn system if it uses VST automation parameters, and as long as your controller still isn't sending MIDI CC's that will conflict with the hardwired mappings.

It's a bummer for me because it would make mapping this to my System-8 a huge PIA in Reaper. I had the same issue with their Minimoog plugin. I had to use a combination of Reaper's built in learn system, but I also had to use a bunch of JS FX to remap the MIDI CC's where there was a conflict. And in the case of the Minimoog, a few switches and other params are completely non-controllable as they're not even exposed as parameter automation.

It's insane to me they hardwire any MIDI assignments. No assignments would be better. It's not like UA sells a MIDI controller keyboard these are mapped to.

So this is an area where U-he, Synapse, TAL, etc. are decades ahead of UAD. I seriously can't remember when the last time I used a commercial synth instrument with hardcoded, non-editable MIDI CC assignments, but it must have been back in the dark ages of VST (early 2000s).

It's a dealbreaker for me. I won't buy any UAD virtual instruments until they enter the mid 2000's and create a MIDI Learn system or some way to reassign the mapping.

[Robmobius]

calling the UAD interfaces a dongle (or even taking the piss out of the company,

You can suck my dongle.

[Modular Manfred]

calling the UAD interfaces a dongle (or even taking the piss out of the company,

You can suck my dongle.

Very intellectual response.

In this case, feel free to duck your bass with your kick.

[Robmobius]

calling the UAD interfaces a dongle (or even taking the piss out of the company,

You can suck my dongle.

Very intellectual response.

In this case, feel free to duck your bass with your kick.

Fools deserve a foolish answer...

[Modular Manfred]

You got it then

[zerocrossing]

Frankly, one could make a list of synths at least as good as Polymax, and WAY cheaper.

Btw, XILS PolyKB III costs 60$ right now. Absolutely amazing deal.

The XILS labs products sound like the old Arturia synths. They're good but they wouldn't fool anyone.

I disagree with that. I’ve got PolyKB, and IMO, it’s one of the best analog emulations. Does it sound like the original? No idea, really, but it sounds very good. Way better than old Arturia plugins like ARP 2600 V or Mini V. Their do look like old Arturia plugins, because they do share that DNA via the developer, but XILS broke away and upped the ante. Now I’d say that they’re on par with Arturia’s new synths, with maybe a slight advantage to Arturia. PolyKB III for $60? No brainer, really.

[zerocrossing]

I new you guys would say repro 5. Unfortunately it’s got its limitations comparing to the real prophet e.g. the way audio rate modulation sounds, aliasing in the higher register and the vca action. I know I’m the niche but to me these differences matter. Cause so many issues in mixing down the line.

If you just use it for bread and butter sounds and stay within the limits it’s ok.

I’ve never compared Repro to a Prophet 5, but I have compared it to my Prophet 6. The only aliasing I noticed (I’d not put it under a scope) is when using distortion. I feel like RePro is more of a “tribute” to the Prophet 5 than a hard emulation. Arturia’s Prophet V gets a lot closer… scarily close, IMO. Repro has more of a focused sound, which I actually appreciate as a different flavor. The audio rate modulation may not sound the same, but I feel it sounds as good.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I've compared both RePro-5 and the new Arturia Prophet to my Rev 4.

RePro gets scarily close, but to me, the most important difference is in how sloppy the hardware is compared to the software. You can increase the "detune" parameter in RePro to get the tuning looser, but the envelopes and filter don't get as sloppy as the Vintage knob on the hardware before RePro's tuning falls apart. The Rev. 4 sounds very chorused and big with even small amounts of the vintage knob whereas RePro feels very polite in comparison. I think some additional "slop" trimmers for filter, envelope timing, and tuning (with the "Detune" knob on the front being a global depth control) in RePro-5 would close that gap. The audio-rate modulation has very different ranges, but I think RePro still sounds good. At least settings I've used. This is all with the Rev 3 filter.

The new Arturia version was pretty good. Using the Rev 2 filter on the hardware. I remember thinking the Arturia didn't sound as good at similar settings, then when I'd go and get into A/B territory it was much closer. So there was definitely some bias on my part. Again, wasn't perfect, but was very good.

[Robmobius]

You got it then

Yeah, but more importantly... Zero fuxx given.

[Robmobius]

The new Arturia version was pretty good. Using the Rev 2 filter on the hardware. I remember thinking the Arturia didn't sound as good at similar settings, then when I'd go and get into A/B territory it was much closer. So there was definitely some bias on my part. Again, wasn't perfect, but was very good.

I really like the new Arturia version myself.